Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer.
Mary Gonzales
Call it a Queer kick-off to the Pride month of June: Texas primary voters chose Mary Gonzales, an out Latina, as the Democratic nominee for State House District 75, in El Paso County. With no Republican challenger, Gonzales will become the first out lesbian, and only the second out LGBT individual, to serve in the Texas Legislature. The first was former State Rep. Glen Maxey (D), who served from 1991 to 2003. Gonzales’ election will reduce the number of state legislatures around the nation with no openly LGBT representatives, currently at 17.
In addition to the win by Gonzales, out and Latina Lupe Valdez was once again re-elected as Dallas County Sheriff, and out Rosemary Lehmber was re-elected as Travis County (that’s Austin) District Attorney. It wasn’t all good news for equality advocates, of course, but the wins are three more steps into equality that are taking place around the nation.
Lupe Valdez
Gonzales, Valdez and Lehmber were all supported by the The Lesbian and Gay Victory Fund, which “works to elect LGBT leaders to public office for one simple reason. They change America’s politics.” Houston mayor Annise Parker is another Texas Elected who is out, and who was supported by the Victory Fund.
It’s encouraging that “openly” LGBTs are being elected in many states and to many different offices. In 2012, for example, only considering candidates supported by the Victory Fund who have won races:
Marcus Brandon, North Carolina, District 60, State House (Primary)
Brian Sims, Pennsylvania, District 182, State House (Primary)
Patty Sheehan, Orlando, Florida, City Council
Tom Kovach, Norman, Oklahoma, City Council
Debra Shore, Chicago, Illinois, Water Reclamation Commission
Al McAffrey, Oklahoma, District 46, State Senate (General)
Susan Allen, Minnesota, District 61B, State House (General)
Rosemay Lehmbert
We need people who will work for equality in every level of government, people who will help “change America’s politics.” The three victories in Texas, and those listed above from the Victory Fund, are indications we’re slowly getting there.
And then there are indications that lots of work remains. This one is, to say the least, very sad, because there’s a child involved, a child who seems to have been taught that “homos” don’t “make it to heaven.” The video has “gone viral.”
From HuffPo:
The congregation in the church, which has been identified as the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle Church in Greensburg, Ind., gives a standing ovation after the child sings, ‘I know the Bible’s right, somebody’s wrong…ain’t no homos gonna make it to heaven.’
The HuffPo piece observes that at LGBT blogs such as Towleroad and Joe. My. God., which have posted the video, it’s been “noted that the child was undoubtedly coached by adults for his performance.” Coached by adults to judge the “homos,” applauded by adults for his little song, which surely was written by an adult. The HuffPo post continues:
… author Anne Rice also posted the video to her Facebook page, noting, ‘In this country, Christians can teach toddlers to hate and to persecute, and we, through the automatic tax exemption for churches, foot the bill.’
I’d just add a clarification: some Christians do this. Not all. I’m confident there were Christians in El Paso who voted for Mary Gonzales; and Christians in Dallas County who voted for Lupe Valdez; and more in Travis County who voted for Rosemary Lehmber.
But without a doubt, there are those who, as a part of their expression of their understanding of the Christian faith, do things like teach a child to hate, and give him a standing ovation for singing about it.
At the HuffPo link you can find several other videos which are “anti-gay, right-wing declarations.” I couldn’t handle more than this one.
Pride Month 2012 brings LGBT’s and allies a lot of “moving ahead” encouragement. It also comes, though, with some rather sad examples of how much more work we have to do.
(Mary Gonzales photo via New Leaders Texas
Lupe Valdez photo via Victory Fund
Rosemay Lehmbert photo via Victory Fund )
Given the prevalence of christians there, there would have to have been, of course.
When a religion is as prevalent as Christianity is in the U.S., it’s more of a Rorschach test than a guide to figuring out what someone’s ethical beliefs will be. People will see what they want to see in the philosophy. As Shakespeare once observed, anyone can find a biblical passage for his purposes…
Shakespeare was right. Proof-texting is the more extreme form of such “finding,” of course.
Happy Pride month Joyce Arnold. I will be attending my local Gay Pride festival this weekend. The post you wrote was fantastic. I am thrilled about more gay politicans getting elected. I watched a segment on CNN about a preacher telling his congregation that he wished that homosexuals were rounded up and put in electric fence, another told preacher told his congregation to hit and beat up your childern if they start acting gay. Its shameful all this hatred and they have the nerve to preach to others when they are preaching hate. There have been gains in the church when it comes to gay rights, The United Church of Christ and The Presbyterian Church just to name a few that are giving their members equal treatment and I am sure more will follow. By the way Joyce, I read a article on yahoo about the relaunched DC comics oldest and enduring hero, The Green Latern is coming out as being gay. I hope this helps gay childern and teens find with finding a hero to look up too. I could have used a Green Latern hero to look up too during my hard childhood with all the anti-gay slurs thrown at me as a child and teenager. Everyone especially childern need a idol and hero and hopefully this will give hope and inspiration to those who are being bullyed and need a hero figure to look up too. Again, looking forward to your posts Joyce Arnold, keep up the good work.
Hey fairminded, hope you have a great Pride weekend.
I’ve been following the stories of the preachers you mentioned. One, in North Carolina, had about 1000 protestors, LGBT and supportive, show up the next Sunday, in a permitted protest.
The gains are there, among Christians and those of other faiths, but there’s no doubt that resistance will continue.
I saw a couple of pieces about the Green Lantern coming out. The very publicly growing cultural / social acceptance and “normalizing” of LGBTs shows up in all kinds of ways
These people are as disgusting as the skin heads and nazi’s that dress their children in their regalia of hate and program them to parrot poison filth. It is child abuse pure and simple….or as the repug/baggers see it…family values.
Hey sec,
Ah yes, the “famil values” of teaching children to repeat the hate. It still seems like child abuse to me.
Doesn’t “seem like”…IS!